


make it up to you

by m0rtalitasi



Category: Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Fluff, Growing Old Together, M/M, Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-26
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-04-01 08:46:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4013266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m0rtalitasi/pseuds/m0rtalitasi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Craig wants the best for his husband through the years...</p>
            </blockquote>





	make it up to you

It was not a fancy wedding. No family, no friends, only $10 NCR and a clerk watching them sign their names. He had practiced signing his signature on the paper just so, and he watched as Arcade carelessly flicked the pen across the off-white paper and produced a better signature than he could ever hope for. It was not a fancy wedding. He had never been one for fancy, Carla had pulled him through fine clothes and standing in the dreaded heat as a man she knew from her time as a little girl in New Canaan droned on in the sun. He preferred this, and Arcade smiled from ear to ear as they stepped outside. In the evening, they had their drinks and stared into the wastes from the Lucky 38’s cocktail lounge. He looked at Arcade and mumbled something about how he wished he could have provided a fancy wedding. Arcade just chuckled and pressed his forehead against his husband’s (the first time he heard it, it was a sink in his stomach and terrifying and hearing it on Arcade’s lips was just as scary).

“You can make it up to me later,” mumbled Arcade sleepily.

They left the Strip after about five years. Boone felt a pit in his stomach as he stared at the city as it got smaller and smaller. He had said he would never leave, but with Arcade it just felt right. It felt safe. The first night, he stayed awake most of the night until Arcade yanked him into the tent and he was able to put his worry to ease. Somehow, settling into Novac felt right as well. Arcade made a snide comment about Dinky the Fucking Dinosaur and Boone laughed a little. Carla had done the same. They would have gotten along well, Boone thought, or at least he hoped they would have.

The house they moved into had a fine layer of dirt and dust covering it and it made Arcade fall into a coughing fit. Dust had always caused Arcade to cough and it was only getting worse as time went on. Boone swept, scrubbed and beat the dust out of the house as Arcade sat at the food tent to get their very first handfuls of groceries. Arcade knew that Boone had a taste for Cram, the nasty stuff, so he got a few cases of it as a treat. Tonight, though, was Brahmin steaks and vegetables that weren’t centuries old night. The house was empty, sans the bed and what they brought, but the food was warm, Boone’s skin was soft and the walls were clean.

“I know that this isn’t great,” Boone said softly as they cuddled in the new bed. At least that was soft, somehow not stiff despite the age, and Arcade had slumped into it with a relieved sigh. It was easy to fuck Boone into the mattress as well, so that was a bonus. “I’ll make it up to you…”

Twenty-five years later, Arcade was told by the Followers that the cough he had was probably going to be the end of him and if he wanted to be comfortable, he needed to go somewhere with better air. So they settled into Jacobstown. Lily was gone but her Brahmin were flourishing enough to make her proud. Arcade made himself useful by making medicine for them to sell and Boone kept guard as best he could.

One morning, Arcade woke up to an empty bed. Boone was usually a heavy sleeper and would sleep later than him, so this was a surprise. Putting on his glasses, Arcade stretched leisurely and looked in confusion. The tin wash tub was full of snow water and ready to put on the fire to heat up and his suit was laid out near the tub. It was stiff and smelled of Abraxo. Soap was settled nearby. All of it untouched, like Boone had set up a new bath all for him. Awful waste of water.

Despite all this, he cleaned and dressed because good Lord Boone wanted him like this for some reason. Boone was waiting outside in the main entrance to the lodge in his own suit, face pink from being scrubbed recently. It was still dark out and they walked outside into the brisk air. They sat outside on the balcony and held hands and drank moonshine as the sun rose. Arcade looked over at Boone as the sun began to rise and saw the faint milky grayness that seemed to linger just behind his once keen eyes.

“Hey…” Boone said almost timidly as he returned Arcade’s gaze.

“Hm?” smiling, Arcade looked intently as he saw Boone try and avoid eye contact with him.

“Did I make it up to you?”

Crisp mountain air filled Arcade’s lungs as he took a sharp breath inward, making him choke before he regained his composure.

“Yeah, Craig. You really did.”


End file.
